Afghanistan earthquake survivors spend the night in the open; the quake damaged historical sites

KABUL Afghanistan AP Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan that killed more than people and injured nearly were digging through the rubble of their homes Tuesday trying to salvage what belongings they could after spending the night outside in the bitter cold Rain was forecast for the region further compounding the misery for survivors The magnitude quake struck just before a m local time Monday with an epicenter kilometers miles west-southwest of the town of Khulm in Samangan province By early Tuesday afternoon the death stood at while another people were injured Residents Soundness Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman noted in a comment The tremor also damaged historical sites including Afghanistan s famed Blue Mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif which is one of Afghanistan s bulk revered religious landmarks and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm The Blue Mosque s minaret was badly damaged while certain bricks and tiles had fallen from various of the mosque s walls and cracks appeared in other parts of the centuries-old site reported Mahmoodullah Zarar Head of Information and Civilization of Balkh Province The Holy Shrine is a valuable monument of Islamic values and the history of the Islamic era and is in dire need of repair and restoration he explained adding that information on the damage had been shared with the ministry of art and lifestyle Video footage from the mosque which is a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals indicated structural damage to parts of the mosque while brickwork and the decorative tiles that adorn its facade had crumbled in several places and laid strewn on the ground The preponderance severely damaged historical monument in the province was the th century Bagh-e Jehan Nama Palace revealed Firozuddin Munib Samangan province s Head of Information and Custom The palace built in - and its adjoining gardens are a popular site for visitors The restoration of this palace is very major because winter is coming and the area is cold and it is raining which may cause further damage Munib announced adding that the quake caused a surrounding wall and one tower to collapse and also led to cracks in the palace and other towers In Khulm aftershocks rattled survivors who spent the night out in the open People are still scared because of last night s earthquake because small tremors were felt during the day reported local resident Asadullah Samangani We spent the night in the open ground last night the weather was very cold we couldn t sleep we feel like there will be another earthquake now He commented agents had sent tents and basic necessities but that his home was perfectly destroyed nothing was left intact to use Our children were all sick in the morning because we had spent the night in the cold and all the household items were under the rubble People from other areas came to help but our belongings are still under rubble and damaged Our women are facing great difficulties we do not have a toilet and we do not have a place where our women can spend the night Rescue crews were still operating in various areas on Tuesday and were expected to finish by the end of the day The World Healthcare Organization mentioned partial damage had been stated in several vitality facilities while the laboratory at the Samangan Provincial Hospital had collapsed destroying critical curative equipment Crisis response operations with strength teams and rescue units were ongoing it mentioned Impoverished Afghanistan often faces difficulty in responding to natural disasters especially in remote regions Buildings tend to be low-rise constructions mostly of concrete and brick with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood countless poorly built In August a quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than people Source